In 1990, 30 states in the US reported ‘water-stress’ conditions. In 2000, the number of states reporting water-stress rose to 40. By 2009, the number rose to 45. There is a worsening trend in water supply nationwide. Taking measures at home to conserve water not only saves you money, it also is of benefit to the greater community.
Saving water at home does not require any significant cost outlay. Although there are water-saving appliances and water conservation systems such as rain barrels, drip irrigation and on-demand water heaters which are more expensive, the bulk of water saving methods can be achieved at little cost. For example, 75% of water used indoors is in the bathroom and even the use of simple methods like tank banks, low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators cannot eliminate the habitual wasting of water by bathers. Most individuals who take a daily shower waste a significant amount of cold or lukewarm water while waiting for the shower water to heat to a preferred temperature.
A variety of shower water collection devices are known in the art, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,174 issued to Horenstein et al. discloses a device for saving water while waiting for shower water to heat up wherein the device consists of an elongated flexible and collapsible tube, the tube having a cuff at the top to remain around the shower head and a cover at the bottom, the cover to prevent grey water from collecting in the contain used with the device. This device may prove inconvenient for individuals with mobility issues and/or the elderly.
Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,586 issued to Small discloses a device for reclaiming shower waste water for use for filing toilets and watering garden, wherein the device is a molded reservoir that takes up the entire bottom of the bathtub, the reservoir being further comprised of smaller tanks that may be individually removed from the reservoir for use of the collected water. This device is large and bulky and its size alone is likely to deter many from attempting to install the device in their bathtub.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,625 issued to Diemand discloses a waste water recovery system including a storage tank, a suction pump connected between the shower floor drain and the tank of the toilet for supplying water for use to flush the toilet. This device requires installation of the collection tank and connector between the shower, tank and toilet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,544 issued to Placencia discloses an apparatus for collecting fresh water flow from a shower including a support frame, a water flow diverter and at least one collection container supported in the frame. This apparatus requires mounting of the support frame to the wall with a plurality of lag bolts.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,581,218 issued to Koepenick discloses a water conservation system including a pair of receptacles for placement on the shower floor, one receptacle for collection of clean water and the other receptacle for collection of used shower water. The pair of receptacles requires the placement of a dowel between the receptacles to prevent movement of the receptacles during use. The requirement of the dowel may make separation of the receptacles cumbersome once use of the collected water is desired.
U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2010/0051107 by Crawford discloses a shower water-saving device for placement in the shower to collect fresh and used water in the same container which may be transformed into a watering bucket and be used to water household plants, garden plants or lawns.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide the desired features described herein as well as additional advantages such as being lightweight, affordable and relatively simple to manufacture.